NHL Futures: Quarterfinal Playoff Odds Update

Welcome to the 2017-18 National Hockey League Playoffs. A 27 week regular season grind is complete and Conference Quarterfinals are set. Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia, Winnipeg vs Minnesota and Vegas vs Los Angles fire out the gate on April 11, 2018, with the first two contest hitting the ice at 7:00 PM ET. This is online bettor's final chance at the sharpest NHL futures so let's look at the lines.

Stanley Cup Quarterfinal Playoff Contenders

Very exciting while it lasted, Nashville pulled away from the pack just enough to claim the 2017-18 NHL President’s Cup. That and $3.25 will get you a TTC subway token as the Chicago Blackhawks (2013) are the only team to post the league’s best record and win the Stanley Cup over the past nine seasons. That said, we like the Predators who finished three points clear of a hard-charging Winnipeg Crew. Congratulations to the Jets who closed hot with five straight wins they are for real.

Tampa Bay finished third as Boston lost 4-2 to Florida in their make-up match vs Florida. The Bruins still finished three points clear of Vegas in fourth place and the Golden Knights are full marks for their top-five finish. The Sin City Crew has a second tier (+800) Championship money line at Bet365 and Betway. As was the case back in Week 16 we still feel a few miracles will be needed for the Cup to cruise down Las Vegas Boulevard and then hit Fremont Street. Though that would be sweet.

Playoff Advice: See the Cup heading to Smashville? Buy the Predators +450 at Bodog ASAP!

11/04/18 Eastern Conference Championship Odds Update

21/04/18 Update: Nearing the end of the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, all eight Eastern Conference squads remain in contention. That said, some are in better shape than others as Tampa Bay and Boston own 3-1 series leads, over New Jersey and Toronto, while the Penguins have a 3-2 lead on Philadelphia and the Washington vs Columbus clash is tied at 2-2. We see the Lightning and Bruins moving on after Game 5 today, the Penguins winning Game 6 versus the Flyers on 22/04/18 and the Capitals vs Blue Jackets series needing seven games to decide the winner.

Most exciting of any race, the fight for top spot in the Eastern Conference was decided by Florida who made a valiant charge but finished one point out of the postseason. Hockey players are rare and dedicated breed for the most part and the Panthers clawed Boston who had everything to play for. With the dust settled, Tampa finished first and get the upstart New Jersey Devils. Boston gets Toronto in a what will be a fantastic Original Six showdown. We like the Bolts and Maple Leafs.

Washington won the Metropolitan Division, by five points over Pittsburgh, and their reward is one of the hotter teams as the Capitals clash with Columbus in the Sweet 16. The Penguins finished second in the Met and the Champs will meet third place Philadelphia Flyers in an all Pennsylvania long time rivalry ripper. We are not betting against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin & Crew at this point and we feel the Capitals will take out the Blue Jackets in a series that might go the distance.

East Playoff Race: If you like the defending Champs – Buy Pittsburgh (+540) at Bet365.

Week Over Week: From 21/04/18 to 23/04/18 Best Money Line Value

Odds Table Order: Teams are listed according to the current Eastern Conference standings.

11/04/18 Western Conference Championship Odds Update

21/04/18 Update: Series have been decided quick in the Western Conference quarterfinals as the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks both won their series with a 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks respectively. Though it took them five games to do it, few teams look more impressive than Winnipeg as the Jets soared past the Minnesota Wild with a 4-1 series win. Colorado staved off elimination with a 2-1 win against Nashville in Game 5 but the Predators still hold a 3-2 series edge and we see the Avalanche bowing out in Game 6 on 22/04/18.

Nashville won the Western Conference as they held off Winnipeg and finished with a league high 117 points. The Predators slowed a bit down the stretch as they went 5-4-1 over their last ten contests. The Jets would have won the East as they posted 114 points while the Lightning finished with 113 points. The Preds face Colorado as the Avalanche (95) claimed the final postseason spot. Winnipeg faces Minnesota (101) in a classic Canada vs USA Border Battle. Preds and Jets is our call.

USA Interstate-15 fights are featured in the other two West matchups. Separated by 268 miles, Pacific winning Vegas Golden Knights (109) will face the Los Angeles Kings (98). Anaheim (101) closed with a solid 8-1-1 run and finished second in the Pacific. A little further apart (369 miles) the Ducks will face NoCal rival San Jose (100) as the Sharks are the six seed following a mediocre 5-4-1 finish. We give an edge to the Kings and Ducks but we aren’t betting the West coast clashes.

West Playoff Race: The Predators +175 West title line continues to lose value at Bodog.

Week Over Week: From 21/04/18 to 23/04/18 Best Money Line Value

Odds Table Order: Teams are listed according to the current Western Conference standings.

NBA Hoops Playoff Betting Action Begins Soon

Tonight is the final night on the National Basketball regular season slate and there are a heap of playoff position battles on the line during Game 82 for many teams. We have know the NBA East contenders for a while and Toronto will enter the second season as the #1 seed in the East. The final three positions (Bucks, Heat and Wizards) are separated by one point. Houston ran away in the West as the Warriors stepped off the gas and dealt with injuries late. Minnesota vs Denver tonight is a “play-in” game as the Timberwolves and Nuggets are tied for the final spot in the West.

Here at Canada Sports Betting, we enjoy having a little skin in the game but the action on the ice, diamond, court, gridiron or pitch is an aesthetic and nice escape. Along with the rest of the World, we mourn the tragic loss of 16 hockey team members from the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Our thoughts are with those still in hospital and everyone affected by this incomprehensible tragedy. If you win a few bucks, while betting on the NHL playoffs, please consider a donation to the Humboldt Broncos GoFundMe page #Humboldt.

A disappointing vote will prevent Calgary from hosting the winter Olympics in 2026, so Canada will now focus on beating the world at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. The Canadians dominated the 2010 winter games in Vancouver, finishing on top of the gold medal and overall medal count for the first time in the nation's history. Early odds from sports betting sites list Canada as one of the favorites to emerge on top of the world in 2022 in Beijing.

If there is a two year-old stakes race on the west coast, it's a safe assumption Bob Baffert will be training a top contender. This is certainly the case Sat, Nov.17 at Del Mar as the white-haired wizard will send a pair of live shots to post in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes.

It's the biggest heavyweight fight of the year as Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury put their unbeaten boxing records on the line. The winner could fight Anthony Joshua next year in what could be the biggest "superfight" in recent memory. Wilder is coming off a comeback victory over Luis Ortiz while Fury quietly won two straight this year following his career-making win over Wladimir Klitschko. We break down this pay-per-view bout.

The 2018-19 NCAA basketball season features a clear narrative - Duke vs the world. R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson - two of the best NBA prospects in college basketball - decided to join the Blue Devils to unite for a one-and-done championship in 2019. The overwhelming talent of Duke will likely clash with the elite programs of Kentucky and Kansas to determine the 2019 March Madness champion.